A Practical Guide to Idea Filters for Technical Founders

Distribution-first filtering, end-to-end.

Step 1: Idea Dump

List every "I should build X" you have. Aim for 15-30. Do not edit yet.

Step 2: Reachability First

Per idea: can I reach 50 buyers warm in 30 days? No → strike. Most ideas die here. Good.

Step 3: Existing Spend

Are buyers paying for adjacent already? No → strike. Educating a market is too expensive for a first build.

Step 4: Three Named Buyers

Real names, not categories. No → strike. Three real names is the sharpest test.

Step 5: Weekly Pain

Quarterly pain does not switch tools. No → strike.

Step 6: Non-Technical Reviewer

Send the kept and killed lists to one non-technical advisor. Their challenges catch your bias.

Step 7: Landing Page Before Code

Ship a landing page for the survivor. DM 50 buyers. Five paid-intent replies in a week → build. Otherwise refine or kill.